Articles from the February 1, 2017 edition

Like most professions, financial advisors come in all varieties from great to self-serving and greedy. Before you trust your financial future to someone, make sure you’ve got a good one. White-collar prisons are full of people, male and female,...

I'm sitting in the office of Turnagain Social Club, early on a foggy, frigid January morning, and I hear loud chomping. "Not to worry," I'm told by Kori Mateaki, owner and president of the facility....

The Alaska Commission on Aging Legislative Advocacy Committee has identified these three advocacy priorities for this legislative session: Preserve the senior safety net. This priority will focus on...

Keep track of senior-related bills, budget decisions and other issues by listening in to the Alaska Commission on Aging Legislative Teleconferences. Hosted by local agencies statewide, and available by toll-free call-in, the teleconferences provide...

As we age, the more we need reliable health care, and an important part of the aging process is access to quality emergency and trauma care. As Republicans are looking to keep their promise to voters to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), it’s...

As Long Term Care Ombudsmen for Alaska, our mission is to meet with residents of assisted living homes and nursing facilities to see if they have any issues they need assistance in resolving. An important part of this process is to make sure...

“And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their...

The Alaska Training Cooperative is offering a one-day course, “Basic Concepts of Care Coordination,” designed for new care coordinators who are not yet certified. The course will be taught in Anchorage on Wednesday, Feb. 22 at the UAA Center for...

The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in February. This month’s focus is caregiver training, featuring part one of a training DVD presentation with Teepa Snow. The DVD is titled...

Alaska Health Fair, Inc., begins the 2017 series of health fairs around the state this month, featuring free health screenings and education, low cost blood tests and more. These tests can help you learn about your health and detect potential...

New treatments and prevention efforts paying off Thanks to a host of factors, cancer death rates are continuing to drop significantly. A steady decline over more than two decades has resulted in a 25...

February marks the opening of Tax-Aide sites around Alaska. The AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program is designed to prepare basic tax returns and anyone can use the service regardless of age or income. Sites are staffed by volunteers who are trained and...

Governor Bill Walker’s new operating budget for FY 2018 brings welcome news for the Alaska Pioneer Homes – no budget cuts for the homes. Since FY 2015, the Department of Health and Social Services, which includes services like the six Alaska...

Same incredible program, different local, non-profit, sponsor! The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) is now actively serving and partnering with organizations in the Anchorage and Mat-Su region. This nationally-recognized program is...

The Alaska Commission on Aging will hold a quarterly meeting in Juneau, Feb. 6 - 10, 2017. Interested parties are welcome to attend in person or on the phone. The teleconference number is 1-800-315-6338, code 53250#. On Monday, Feb. 6, the meeting...

Interested in learning more about businesses and agencies providing senior services in the Anchorage area? Want to get the word out about your own service? The monthly Interagency Breakfast, sponsored by Older Persons Action Group, is an opportunity...

On screen, she amused TV audiences as feisty nurse Maj. Margaret Houlihan for 11 seasons in the highly acclaimed late 70s/early 80s comedy war drama, M*A*S*H. But away from the cameras, Loretta Swit...

Throughout the month of February, we honor African Americans by celebrating Black History Month. Created in 1926, this event coincides with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln on Feb. 12 and Frederick Douglass on Feb. 14. African American communities...

Q. My daughter keeps encouraging me to get a smartphone, but I fail to see any need. I don’t need the Internet on my phone. Are there other reasons? A. Information can save your life. And the smartphone can be an essential tool for recording...

Cemeteries might not seem like a likely place to visit as a tourist but they are. Some people visit cemeteries to pay homage to presidents, artists, poets and other influential individuals. Others go...